San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, about to assume California’s lieutenant governor post, vetoed the Board of Supervisor’s ban on McDonald’s kids toys because “parents, not politicians, should decide what their children eat, especially when it comes to spending their own money. Despite its good intentions, I cannot support this unwise and unprecedented governmental intrusion into parental responsibilities and private choices.” Oh Gavin, always looking out for the best interests of children.

Now that he has been elected Lt. Governor, Newsom is doing what all statewide politicians do.

He is pivoting to the center.

That this minor event somehow qualifies as national news seems somewhat dubious. But CNN, MSNBC, and FOX are all acting as if it is really important. And the reaction among right-wing, libertarian tea baggers has been largely positive thus far. Though they still haven’t forgiven him for trying to legalize same-sex marriage. It will take at least a few Happy Meals for that.

Nov 15, 2010 at 1:32 pm · @Reply ·

Henry Holland

But CNN, MSNBC, and FOX are all acting as if it is really important

Because it fits their “Hahahaha! Look at those wacky people in San Francisco! So out of touch with Heartland American values!” narrative.

At least this piece of legislation isn’t as stupid as the one banning circumcision…..

Nov 15, 2010 at 1:54 pm · @Reply ·

J. Clarence

He’s not pivoting to the center, John, he’s using common sense. This is a stupid piece of legislation if there ever was one, and it is such low hanging fruit for conservatives to use to accuse mainstream liberals want too much government intervention that I am surprised it actually made it this far.

Banning toys isn’t how you stop parents from buying their kids fast food meals and making it a part of their children’s routine diet, because most of the time parents aren’t buying or deciding to buy fast food meals for the toys inside, but rather because it’s cheap, its health-effects are not immediately apparent, and for time strapped parents it faster than cooking a hot meal.

The idea that if you take away the toys children are somehow en masse going to cut down on eating fast food is seems to be a few nuggets short of a Happy Meal. From a practical and pragmatic approach, a smarter route would be make information about alternatives to fast food more readily available to parents, create an environment that makes alternatives more available, and educate people about their health. Most parents don’t want to provide their children with bad food, but a lot of them, because the economy and time restraints, have to more often than they would like. When accept that and drop the foolish idea that it’s the crappy plastic Megamind toy that’s at fault better liberal policies will result. (It also wouldn’t hurt to address the unbelievable amount of farm subsidies provided to agribusiness, which creates an incentive for them to grow all the wrong things.)

This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a complicated public policy debate that requires much soul searching. It is probably one of the easiest vetoes of his seven years in office. Politically, it happens to be the right move as well. That’s all I am saying.

Pivoting to the center? What sort of nonsense is this from commenters here? Parents ought to decide what their children eat not a bunch of politicians. Politicians have no business deciding what you eat any more than they have a right to decide with whom you will sleep. Your body, your choice.

Nov 15, 2010 at 11:39 pm · @Reply ·

Josh

Looking out for the best interests of children….except for Michael and Matthew Bologna…